lightweight sleeping bags for tall people

[Ben P]

I'm currently trying to lose weight from my pack. My sleeping bag weights 1935g (4lb 4oz ish)

I am 6'3 and so need a large bag. The other problem is I'm in the UK so don't have access to the same kit as easily. I currently use a Decathlon S0 Ultralight (the irony!) which comes in a long version.

My main option is the Alpkit SkyeHigh 600 (http://www.alpkit.com/shop/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16320&category_id=253) in Long.

It needs to be a 3 season bag as I use it a lot during the year and don't have space to keep more than 1.

What do you folks recommend?

[Dave .]

Ben,

You're in luck: I've been doing research to answer exactly the same question for a while now. The related threads are below. My conclusion is that the best option for someone looking for what we're after is to go for the Western Mountaineering Megalite. It's a great bag and I'm sure you can find someone who will ship it to you. Failing that, I'd be willing to buy one at my local shop and mail it to you presuming that you provide me with the money to do so. I suspect you'd be much happier with it than the bag you have linked above. But read the threads below and judge for yourself. There's a lot of relevant info in there for you.

Best,
Dave

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/forum_thread/12081/index.html?skip_to_post=88568#88568

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/forum_thread/12338/index.html?skip_to_post=90493#90493

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/forum_thread/12505/index.html?skip_to_post=92241#92241

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/forum_thread/12653/index.html

[Ryan Gardner]

Hey Ben,

I am 6'2". I purchased the GoLite Ultra 20 quilt (size long) and it is long enough to pull all the way over my head. I know you specified "bag" in your post, but with the straps cinched all the way up, it might as well be a sleeping bag because it provides me with complete coverage. It was my first quilt, and I am very very happy I got that instead of another bag. I am a convert.

Mine weighs 21.2 oz, has 2-2.5" of loft, and keeps me warm to 30* with no insulating clothing on. See my review in the "Reader Reviews" section for more details.

[Ben P]

Dave, thank you for your kind offer, its much appreciated. I will do some research into it, I was hoping to keep my budget down as its hard to justify spending a lot on a bag (the reviews of them are pretty good huh!?). Out of interest how much can you get them for? Thanks also for the tip!

Ryan, I'm more of a sleeping bag type of guy. I've briefly considered it but I like knowing that I'm in a bag, it makes it easier when wriggling into my bivvy bag. I'll take a look at your review

[Martin Rye]

I use a Marmot Atom in a long length. It’s light though weights a little more than Marmot state. See the reviews on the gear forums. I am 6`2 and its great with loads of room yet is warm and comfy.

In February in the Lake District I wild camped and it got down to – 6 with -4 in the tent at that point I put on my PHD down jacket as I was starting to get cold. The bag is rated at plus 5 but I would say at -1 you would be fine, but I sleep warm. It copes with any damp well keeping the down dry from any condensation. I rate it better than equivalent RAB or Mountain Equipment bags.

[Jon Hancock]

…or perhaps you do ;)

Have you looked at the range over on http://www.phdesigns.co.uk ? They're not cheap, but the quality is exceptional and they are very good when it comes to making bags (and clothing) to fit perfectly.

On the less expensive side, I was listening to Bob Cartwright on the Outdoors Station and he seemed pretty pleased with the Alpkit bag he used on the 2006 TGO Challenge.

[Dave .]

Ben, the reviews are good, but more importantly (to my mind at least) the actual experience of comparing Western Mountaineering bags to the others just convinced me that they really are just far and away better than any other bags that I was able to find.

Anyway, I think the Megalite would be about £130 + shipping. That's definitely more than the bag you were originally looking at, so take your time and consider it. I'm not going anywhere. If you're not interested, no worries. Just an offer.

And if it makes you feel any better, I can't quite bring myself to do the quilt thing yet either.

[Ryan Gardner]

I didn't know there were any stores around me that stocked WM bags until I stumbled into a climbing shop a few weeks ago. WOW! High loft is an understatement! Those things are amazing!

Still don't own one though… maybe one day.

[Andrew Richardson]

"I was hoping to keep my budget down as its hard to justify spending a lot on a bag"

I think it's pretty easy to justify it. Saving three pounds and gaining a sleeping bag that is built to near perfection that will last you, with proper care, years and years and years is worth every penny to me. I don't think it's worth it NOT to spend a lot on a bag.

I've owned an REI subkilo and it spit out down, didn't have continuous baffles, didn't loft as well and didnt feel as comfortable as my WM Ultralight so I've never regretted spending more for such an awesome bag! Of course, there is a middle ground, but I felt buying a well constructed, high lofting, very comfortable bag from the start would save in the long run. Have I mentioned how awesome it was constructed? The seams are straight and tight. A real thing of beauty!

[Dave .]

Andrew, dude…spoken (or posted anyway) like someone who uses a WM bag. ;)

[Brett Peugh]

If you want, I have a bag I will be selling soon. It is a Marmot Nighthawk long. 20F, 650 fill, 2lbs7oz, 19oz of fill, Spindrift shell, 60" girth and it fits my 6'5" frame. Been meaning to put it up for sale but just haven't yet. It holds to the 20F and maybe a bit below. I am asking $100 plus shipping OBO.

The thing about this bag is that it is from 1986. It has been stored unstuffed and used about a month fully in its lifetime. It was used for when I was in scouts and then stored away and forgotten about until two years ago. I sent it off to Marmot and they cleaned it and added extra fill to it. It has a lifetime warranty and any problems you have with it or if you think the down is gong bad, you ship it off to them and they fix it for free and ship it to you for free.

[Andrew Richardson]

Ha..yeah Dave, I guess you're right! Can you blame me? They really are great bags, though Montbell and Feathered Friends have great bags too. I haven't tried them though, but maybe I would rave if I did :)

I see you're a fan of WM too though. Maybe I'm just a born hustla baby! Ehh..the WM is an easy sell :)

[Scott Toraason]

A bad day in the mountains beats a good day a work, it’s all about what we want when it comes to the mountains not our minimum needs.

[Dave T]

.

[Dave .]

Western Mountaineering sleeping bags: They don't suck. At all.

Western Mounteering down sleeping bags: They'll tickle your fancy [insert innappropriate noun here].

Never ceases to amaze me how easily I can amuse myself…

In anyt case, I still haven't shipped my Montbell bag back and I'm due to pick up my WM bag tomorrow. I'll post a side by side phot here when I get the WM. You'll never think about buying a Montbell again!

[Chad Miller]

You won't think about buying a MontBell bag again, unless you need a girth over 59".

Western Mountaineering bags are great, if you're not wide in the shoulders. If you need anything over a 59" girth you probably want avoid the WM bags.

The exception is WM winter bags, a decent 66" girth but for me that's still tight for winter use.

[Dave .]

Chad,

I know that you gave some good weightlifting advice on another thread and probably aren't mistaken for Skeletor as often as I am, but there is a wider range of options in the WM bags than you think.

The WM Summerlite is a narrow mummy bag and has a shoulder girth of 60". You're right to note that some hikers find this to be too narrow for comfort. However, the WM Megalite is essentially the same bag, but with a 65" shoulder girth. The same principle applies to the Ultralite and the Alpinlite: both are rated to 20*F, but the Ultralite has a shoulder girth of 60" whereas the Alpinlite has a shoulder girth of 65". Both of the wider bags weigh a little more than their narrower counterparts (but still weigh less than an equivalent Montbell UL SS bag).

So, unless I (or any other tall and relatively slender hikers) join a major league baseball team and experience an unnatural growth spurt, I think WM has us covered.

That said, Monbell does claim that their UL Super Stretch bags expand to shoulder girths up to 75" and, therefore, can theoretically fit bulkier hulks such as yourself or anyone who is too girthy to live with a 65" shoulder girth. But what they don't tell you is how much you compress their bags' loft to achieve that sort of fit (answer: a lot). In practice though, if you need that much girth out of your Montbell bag, you're going to significanlty impact the temperatures at which you'll be comfortable and you'd be better off with another bag anyway.

I'm going to go ahead and say it, although I think it'll be a pretty unpopular statement: I think that the Montbell UL Super Stretch design is a silly gimmick.

[John S.]

Chad, that is not true at all about Western Mountaineering shoulder girths in their bags…

[Dave .]

Actually, Skeletor is way buffer than I remembered. I think he has better abs than me. And broader shoulders.

I wonder if animated skeletons require sleeping bags while hiking.

I'd wager not…

But if he needed one, something tells me Ole' Skelly would go with a Western Mountaineering bag.

[taetum shelyn]

Hey there this is my first post on this site but when I saw the question I had to respond! Im 6'4 and hike and backpack all around the US im on trail 3 to 4 months min a year and i have found no other bag even compares to my Alpinnlight by western mountaineering ! I got mine from a cool lil shop in redding california called the hermits hut the owner paid for mine to be over stuffed and when my first one got stolen while on trail in NC he paid the shiping and had a new one out to me in like 3 days. Any way as a big guy its hard for me to find a product that really works well and I couldnt be happier with my alpinlight,

[Todd T]

I'm 6'5", about 205 lb. and own two Marmots (Helium and Atom). Plenty of length and girth for me. My only gripe is the zippers hang in the bag's cloth more than I'd like. They ain't Western Mountaineerings, but decent for a bit less money.

[Link .]

Wow,7 year old thread

[Ryan Smith]

I've had a couple WM's and I currently own a Marmot Meteor 15. Both brands have been great with WM having a better design and quality, but the Marmot was $300.00 cheaper so I don't mind that the zipper snags a bit and weighs about 14oz more.

Ryan

[Author]

Posts